As the population has increased, particularly in urban areas, and as urbanites have increased their affinity for pets, the number of "pooper scooper" type devices that have been designed or imagined has exploded. There must be thousands of designs for various gadgets and techniques for cleaning up a dog's droppings in the most convenient fashion. This burst of inventiveness has no doubt been spurred in large part by city ordinances which impose fines on pet owners who do not clean up after their dogs. Particularly in New York city, a pet owner who does not want to be subject to a heavy fine must be very meticulous about cleaning up after his dog on a real-time basis, as opposed to resolving to return later, which would earn him a ticket.
A typical example of this type of scooper comprises a cane or stick with a dust pan-type shovel of some kind at the lower end and a handle at the other end with a trigger or actuator mechanism which somehow assists in scooping the droppings into the dust pan portion. Various mechanisms for encapsulating the droppings in bags while it is being scooped or afterwards have been concocted.
No doubt a lot of these are good ideas, although they tend to run into overly complex machinations, being too elaborate for a one-purpose device which accomplishes a purpose which is fairly easily done by hand in the alternative. All "pooper scooper" inventors should remember that the device they are designing replaces the simple kitchen bag or two in one's pocket and collecting the droppings by hand. Although this may not be as pleasant as executing the same function at the end of a stick, it is probably least as efficient and does not require leaving an unsanitary contraption around the house between dog walkings.
It is believed that any dog dropping contraption or "pooper scooper" must be simple and inexpensive, not taking up much room when it is not in use and not complicated to the extent that the dog owner is expected to make a minor hobby out of his new "pooper scooper" device.